FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 8, 2023

City of Kingston Shares Progress on Short-Term Rental Registrations and Compliance

KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble, the Office of Housing Initiatives, and the Building Safety Department are pleased provide an update on the City of Kingston’s short-term rental registration.

As of August 2023, renting or advertising a property for rent on a short-term basis without a license is in

violation of the City of Kingston’s zoning code. Per the new form-based zoning code, short-term rental (STR) operators must register with the City’s Building Department, and the number of full short-term rental permits is capped at 106. The number of allowable full STRs equals 1% of Kingston’s total housing units. Full-time short-term rental permits are only allowed in T5 or T4 zoning transects and only one short-term rental is allowed per property. No short-term rental permits will be issued for any accessory dwelling unit.

To date, the short-term rental registrations include:

Full: 87

Resident-occupied: 10

Limited (less than 30 days per year): 8

The registry can be found here:  Short-Term_Rentals_City_Kingston_December_2023.xlsx

Though registration is required, there is no cap on limited short-term rentals (less than 30 days a year) or resident-occupied short-term rentals. The City of Kingston is currently in the process of taking legal action against approximately 20 unregistered short-term rental operators.

Mayor Noble said, “I am pleased that we have been able to successfully administer the new short-term rental rules that were adopted as part of the new zoning code. Since implementing the new online registration portal, the vast majority of STR owners have registered or ceased operations to comply with the new rules. I want to thank our Building Department and our Housing Director for all they have done to create this registration system and to work collaboratively to bring all operating STRs into compliance.”

Bartek Starodaj, Director of Housing Initiatives said, “The new short-term rental rules that were adopted in August are proving to be fair and enforceable. I believe the City of Kingston is now reaching an appropriate balance between short-term rental activity and potential negative impacts, especially on housing availability and affordability. Most short-term rental operators have now complied with our new zoning code either by registering or ceasing operations. We will continue to take action against anyone flouting the City’s rules.”

Stephan Knox, Director of Building Safety said, “We have been successful in using GovOS for all registrations and to automate compliance monitoring. I want to thank the operators who have registered and all those who have come into compliance, as well as my team, who have been instrumental in getting this system in place.”

Registration fees are as follows: Full-time $650; Limited $125; and Resident-occupied $125. Unlicensed STRs will be subject to enforcement and significant fines. The current violation fees, per day rented or per day advertised, are $1,000 for the first instance, $5,000 for the second instance, and $7,500 for a third or subsequent instance.

Once the full-time cap of 106 units has been reached, registration will be closed. The City of Kingston short-term rental registration portal is available at https://cityofkingston.munirevs.com/.

A fact sheet with frequently asked questions can be found here. Additional questions can be directed to the City of Kingston’s Office of Housing Initiatives at 845-334-3928 or the Building Safety Dept. at 845-331-1217.

To report complaints regarding a City of Kingston STR, visit https://str.govos.com/complaint/?cityid=1684.

The new citywide form-based zoning code was developed over the course of three years with community input and the guidance of consultants at Dover Kohl & Partners. The new code encourages affordable housing, promotes walkable and accessible neighborhoods, safeguards historic building patterns, and preserves Kingston’s open spaces. The new code also allows the development of mixed-use spaces and diverse housing types, provides incentives and mandates for creating affordable housing, regulates short-term rentals, and sets standards for creating a safer, more walkable city. The City of Kingston’s zoning map can be found here.

More about the new zoning code at https://engagekingston.com/kingston-forward.